Dana Newman Year1: Sorcerer's Stone
by FantasyWorld1
Summary: Dana Newman thought her family was normal, that was, until she recieves her Hogwarts letter. Now everything on why her family was being so weird makes sense, and the wizarding world was being revealed to her little by little. However, everything changes when she officially meets Harry Potter. Join Dana and her adventure in the sorcerer's stone.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Dana Newman, and I am turning eleven today! My family have always been saying that 'It's a superb thing, to be eleven' and I'd always ask why, and then they'd always say I'd find out. But I don't really think there is anything special to being eleven, except that it's one digit higher than ten, and that… I think that's it.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I come from a very strange family, who always keep secrets from me. For example; my Mum and Dad work at as lawyers, but when I actually came in to the name of their supposed offices, well… fun fact: they didn't exist! Then they said that their offices got replaced, and they moved to a new one far away in America. Well… that explains why they always come on special occasions such as Christmas, New Years, and my birthday.

Then, my parents always seem to be lying about where my older brother Peter, and my older sister Belle go to school. First they say my siblings are going to a law school, and then a medical school… can't those two make up their mind?!

And then there are the pictures… The pictures on the walls… You see, my grandmother, has about fifty pictures of different cats in her room, which is full of pink. I am not saying that her obsession with pink is abnormal, it's just that whenever I look at the kittens, they seem to look at me in different directions all the time! All the time! When I went to complain, my grandma just thought that I was being totally out of my mind when I was not!

Also, they keep talking about this boy named Harry Potter, who apparently visits my grandmother when his aunt and uncle leave him to go somewhere. He apparently goes to my school, but I don't know why they talk about him like "How brave is he?! Living without his parents who were perished by He Who Must Not Be Named" "Poor boy, poor boy…" And when he smiles at me when I see him in the park with his cousin, his Uncle gives me and my family strange looks, mumbling 'They are one of _them_. Let's make a move before they ask the boy for his autographs…" Why would I want to give him any autographs?! And that is why my family is very strange… and good at keeping secrets.


	2. A Birthday Surprise

As I woke up this morning, I saw my grandmother and my two siblings in the kitchen. The kitchen was decorated with party favors and a big banner that said "Happy Eleventh Birthday". Peter and Belle were standing with my grandma, an elderly woman named Arabella Figg, who owns about fifty cat pictures, and also babysits that kid Harry Potter from school.

"Happy Birthday!" They shouted, and they each gave me a tight hug that made me want to faint.

"Thank you Peter and Belle, thank you Grandma" I said. My brother Peter is fifteen years old, and goes to a special school for gifted children, just like my sister Belle, who is fourteen. Belle is quite boring sometimes, and doesn't really like to have fun, and sometimes calls me names when I am bothering her, especially when I make fun of her and her fifty boyfriends that send her love notes. (My sister does not have fifty boyfriends, more like a hundred admirers). She is a heartthrob, and has dark brown curly hair, and my Father's ocean blue eyes. I really don't know what boys see in her, but she still can be a good sister.

Peter, on the other hand, is not really much of a heartthrob, or boring like my sister Belle. He loves sports, and also doesn't mind getting dirty (like me). He looks a lot like my father, but the only difference is that he has short brown hair, rather than dark brown like us.

"You know that this is her _eleventh _birthday, and we all have to be welcoming to what she will find out" fussed Grandma Figg (that's what I call her). She has a few wrinkles, and has bushy grey hair, and smells of old lady… and cat fur.

"You keep saying this day is special, but what is so special about it?" I asked in an annoyed voice. Every year they have been mentioning the number eleven, until I became eleven. Since it is my _eleventh _birthday, I would really like to find out what's so special about it.

"You will find out soon enough, but in the meanwhile, who wants cake?" Grandma Figg asked, completely ignoring my question. I decided to just give in, until I saw the mailman bring the letters. My Grandmother was watching intensely, as well as my siblings.

"Go, on. Take the mail please, and give the junk mail to me" said Grandma. I walked over to the mail, and picked it up. Bills, bills, bills… until I saw one engraved with bright green letters. It read:

To Ms. D. Newman

#7 Private Drive

Little Whinging

Supposing that this letter _is _for me, and not for anyone else whose name started with a D, and who's surname is Newman, I opened the letter, and as I did, everyone gasped. I was quite shocked myself when I found out what it said:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Newman,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than July 31st

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Alright, first of all, who was Minerva McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore? And… in the _name _is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Since it says witch craft and wizardry… And since I am a girl… does that mean I'm a witch? I looked at my family, and they looked back at me with proud expressions on their faces. Did they know about this? After a few minutes, I finally got my answer.

"I never thought I would live to see this day" said Grandma, with a beaming face, which I usually see when one of her cats gives birth to kittens.

"You mother and father would be proud"

I was confused. Why would they be proud if they had a witch in the family… Unless, if Mother and Father would have been witches and wizard too?

"I don't understand. Why would Mother and Father be proud?" I asked.

"It has been our tradition to keep our children away from all this magic until it was the right time to expose it. Peter and Belle have gotten their letters, and were very pleased to find out that they were special. Belle is a Ravenclaw, and Peter is a Gryffindor" said Grandma, referring to my siblings as she talked. What is a Ravenclaw, and a Gryffindor? This became more and more confusing as she was throwing new words that I had no idea what they meant.

"What is a Ravenclaw? And a Gryffindor? And what is Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" I asked, hoping to get a real answer.

"Hogwarts is a school far away in Scotland, and only those people with magic can see it"

"Did you go there?"

"No. I didn't because, even though I was born into a magic family, I did not have magic abilities. It happens in some families, but you are very lucky to be able to go" said Grandma, with sad eyes looking down.

Why would my family lie to me all those years, pretending that I was normal? I am clearly not normal… I was always different, and now I am even more different than I was! Why would I want to be a witch? They have been prosecuted before because they were different. I don't want to be some weirdo casting a spell, and keeping my powers hidden like those characters in fantasy books. Plus, my entire family must be filled with them! I really did not want to be different, because I have tried so hard to make friends, but they all found me… yes, different.

"I don't know what to say. Why would you keep something like this from me, after all these years?"

"Since we live in a Muggle neighborhood, it is best to keep our secrets from others and act like normal people. I was sent to live here to protect Harry Potter" said Grandma. Here we go again about Harry Potter. Why is he so important?! He is just a boy who lives with his aunt and uncle. Were his parents always gone like mine? And what is a Muggle? Is it a term for lousy neighbors?

"What is so important about Harry Potter?" I asked. So many questions and very little answers.

"There is something you should know. Just as much as there are good wizards and witches, hopefully, like you. There are others, however, who are dark. You will learn this all when the time comes. Right now, we must pack are bags and get ready for Diagon Alley!" said Grandma.

I looked over at Peter, and mouthed. "What's Diagon Alley?" He gave me a look that read, "You will see soon". This is so far one of the worst birthdays I have ever had.


End file.
